Jakarta – A police officer in Garut, West Java, divulged on Monday that his accusations about the local police being impartial were the result of a personal conflict.
On Sunday, former Pasirwangi district police chief Adj. Comr. Sulman Aziz told reporters that police brass had ordered him and his subordinates to support President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his running mate, Ma'ruf Amin, in Garut.
On Monday, however, Sulman confessed that his actions were due to him being reassigned by Garut precinct police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Budi Satria Wiguna who denied the accusations.
"I was emotional at the time after being reassigned. It was because I had taken a picture with a religious leader who happens to be on the Prabowo-Sandi [Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno ticket] support committee in the Pasirwangi district," Sulman said as quoted by Antara.
Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) commissioner Fritz Edward Siregar said it was currently investigating the case.
In the meantime, he urged police officers, Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel and other government officials to remain neutral ahead of the 2019 presidential election on April 17.
"We want to make sure that every stakeholder in this year's election is neutral, just like how it is mandated in the Constitution," Fritz said.